Managing Stress for Leaders
Guest Blog by Lade Olugbemi
You will agree with me that 65% of the productive times in our lives is spent at work.
Like we have always advocated at The NOUS, we all have a responsibility towards each other. Leaders especially have a duty of care towards staff or members of community that we lead.
9 Ways of Managing Stress for Leaders and Managers
- As much as possible, avoid instances where stress negatively influences well being through good management practice
- Conduct stress risk assessments with staff if they feel it needed or if a member of staff raises the issue of stress. Most organisations have risk assessment policies for staff. Managing stress should be considered as part of any normal risk assessment process
- Where there are planned organisational restructure or procedural changes, ensure good communication between leadership and followers. Remember to allow for an environment that staff can discuss about their stress levels openly.
- Please make sure that your members or staff have the right equipment to undertake tier roles
- Monitor workloads to ensure that people are not overloaded;
- Monitor working hours and overtime to ensure that your followers are not routinely overworking;
- Ensure that your team take holidays fully…look out for the workaholics…some people don’t know when to stop working.
- Ensure that bullying and harassment is not tolerated;
- Be vigilant and offer additional support – including Occupational Health referrals where appropriate – remembering that stress can originate from situations outside of work.
Next time, we will look at the ins and outs of understanding stress.
About Lade
Lade Olugbemi is a lawyer and a senior manager working at one of the Local Authorities in London, UK. She is passionate about mental wellbeing. She serves on the board, delivery groups and operational panels of several governmental initiatives. This exposure highlighted the major gap in information held about mental well being and illness in the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities not just in the UK but also in the countries of origin.
Lade would like to see policies change reflecting the needs of the BAME communities; awareness about mental health illness and mental wellbeing.
Lade is the CEO of The NOUS Organisation, a registered company creating awareness through workshops, seminars and community work. She is also a director of REOPASS, a Family Navigating Organisation supporting families in crisis, and working with victims who have suffered domestic abuse.
Lade can be contacted by email on: thenousorganisation@gmail.com
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